Device for squeezing and storing collapsible tubes comprising a hollow casing with rollers therein



Sept. 4, 1951 v I YDER 2,566,503

G. H. SN DEVICE FOR SQUEEZING AND STORING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES COMPRISING A HOLLOW CASING WITH ROLLERS THEREIN I Filed March 12, 1948 J 5/ INVENTOR. J 28 35 GEO/P65 H, s/vyofxe,

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Patented Sept. 4, 1 951 OFFICE 'DEVICE FOR SQUEEZING AND 'STORIN G COLLAPSIBLE TUBES COMPRISING A HOLLOW CASING WITH ROLLERS THEREIN George H. Snyder, Toledo, Ohio Application March 12, 1948, Serial No. 14,464

3 Claims. :1

:Mywinvention relates to a device for holding and co'mpressinga flexible tube, for containing shaving cream, tooth paste or other plastic material.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned characterywhich is easy to operate and relatively simple and compact.

'A further object of the invention is to provide ai devlce of the above'mentioned class, wherein the empty portion of the flexible tube may be stored within the device.

.A still further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned class, designed to facilitate the easy removal of empty tubes therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during'the course of the following description.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 isa perspective view of a device em- I bodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, the end member or platebeing removed.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is aperspective" view of one of the operating elements.

Figure 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the device, parts broken away.

In the drawings, the numeral I designates a casing formed in companion casing sections, II, the inner ends of'which engage and have interlocking connection by means of a tongueand groove construction I-2,,. or a plurality of such constructions. The assembled casing sections produce the casing I0 having a compressed tube receiving chamber I3 and a transverse Web I4. Arranged upon the opposite side of the Web I4 with respect to the chamber I3 is aforward chamber I5, having communication with a relatively large horizontal transverse opening I6, as shown. A reduced passage or slot H leads from the forwardchamber I into the rear chamber I3;*and this passage inclines downwardly in a rearward directionas-shown. The casing I0 includes ends I8, having outwardly laterally offset portions I9 and vertical passages between the ends l8 and the offset portions [9.

Mounted within the chamber I5 is a pair of rollers 2I and 22, carried by shafts 23 and 24 respectively, and these shafts are journaled in openings formed in webs or lugs 25, integral with the offset casing portions I9 and disposed upon same. Secured toeach end of the roller 2| is a gear 26, engaging .a gear 21,. secured to each endof the roller 22. These gears are rigidly secured to the rollers and are in .mesh to cause the rollers to turn in opposite directions. These rollers are preferably knurled and slightly spaced.

The ends I8 are provided upon their outer faces with vertical grooves 28, and the web l4 has .a longitudinal opening 29, receiving a rod 30, for clamping the casing sections II together, the ends of this rod or its head andnut, if any, carried thereby, being flushwith the bottom of the grooves 28. Mounted to reciprocate within the grooves 28 are vertical operating barsor strips 3|, Figure 5, having outwardly'extending horizontal stops 32 and brackets 33. Arranged upon the outer faces of the barsv 3| are vertically swinging pawls 34, having. teeth 34' to engage with the gears 21. These pawls areypivoted to the bars 3| by pins 35,, secured within openings 36. The pawls have tails 31 arranged to contact with the stops 32 and beingdisposed above these stops. The pawls are urged upwardly by springs 38, secured to the brackets 33, as shown.

:The numeral 39 designates a vertical reciprocatory plunger or bar, slidable within a transverse slot 40 formed in the top of the casing Ill, and having pins 4I rigidly secured thereto, and these pins operate within vertical slots 42, formed in the ends I8, at the top of the grooves 28. The plunger or bar 39 is moved upwardly by compressible coil springs 43, engaging the top of the web I4. The pins 4| are held withlnopenings 44, formed in the bars 3|.

The numeral designates generally flat end plates, which areremovably mounted uponthe the outer faces of the ends I8. The. end plates 45 are securedin .posi--' tion by screws 46, as shown. .The end platesare provided near one end with recesses 41 to .receive the bosses 25, and these bosses help to position the end plates 45. The end plates '45 are provided with inwardly projecting bosses 48, the inner surfaces 49 of which are disposed close to the outer surfacesof the pawls 34. 'Thebosse's 48 do not contact the pawls 34, but serve as means to prevent possible disengagement of the bars 3| and pawls 34 from the grooves 28.

The operation of the device is as follows:

A flexible tube containing plastic material has its flat end passed between the rollers 2| and 22. When it is desired to remove the paste, the cap is separated from the tube, and the plunger 39 is depressed. The teeth 34' are arranged to engage the teeth of the gears 21, and when the plunger 39 is depressed the tails 31 engage the stops 32, and the pawls 34 will accordingly turn the lower roller 22. The rollers 21 and 22 have their adjacent faces turning in opposite directions, to feed the tube between them. When the plunger 39 is released, springs 43 return plunger 39 to the raised position, and pawls 3 4 then trip over the teeth of the gears 21. The springs 38 return the pawls 34 to the normal position, with their tails engaging stops 32, when the pawls dis engage the lower gears 21. When this operation is repeated, the inner end of the tube is flattened and is fed through the passage l1 and is accumulated in the chamber l3.

When the flexible tube is emptyand stored within the recess I3, and it is desired to remove the tube from the device, it is merely necessary to press down upon the bar 39 for its full travel, and the tube can be readily pulled out'through the opening [6. The pawl 34, in its lowermost position, will have its teeth disengaged from the teeth of gear 2'l,and the rollers 2| and 22 can then reverse their movement as the empty tube is pulled out.

' It is tobe understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claimsi Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A device for squeezing and storing collapsible tubes comprising a hollow casing including a transverse partition subdividing said casing into spaced chambers, there being an opening provided in one end of said casing in communication with the adjacent one of said chambers for the insertion therethrough of a tube to be collapsed, a pair of rollers disposed in superimposed spaced relation with within said one'chamber for rotary movement about spaced transverse axes and adapted to receive said tube therebetween, an exteriorly actuable plunger bar positioned intermediate said chambers and mounted contiguous to one side of said casing for movement toward and away from the other side thereof, resilient means operatively connected to said plunger bar for normally biasing the latter away from said other side of said casing, and means positioned Within said casing and operatively connected to said pair of rollers and said plunger bar for rotating the former in response to the movement of the latter toward said other side of said casing, said partition being provided with a passage having its ends in communication with said chambers for the extension therethrough of said tube into the other of said chambers for storage therein.

2. A device for squeezing and storing collapsible tubes comprising a hollow casing including a transverse partition subdividing said casing into .spaced chambers, there being an opening provided in one end of said casingin communication with the adjacent one of said chambers for the insertion therethrough of a tube to be collapsed, a pair of rollers disposed in superimposed spaced respect to each other and mounted 4 relation with respect to each other and mounted within said one chamber for rotary movement about spaced transverse axes and adapted to receive said tube therebetween, an exteriorly actuable plunger bar positioned intermediate said chambers and mounted contiguous to one side of said casing for movement toward and away from the other side thereof, resilient means operatively connected to said plunger bar for normally biasing the latter away from said other side of said casing, and means positioned within said casing and operatively connected to said pair of rollers and said plunger bar for rotating the former in response to the movement of the latter toward said other side of said casing, said partition being provided with a passage having its ends in communication with said chambers for the extension therethrough of said tube into the other of said chambers for storage therein, said last named means comprising gearing carried by said spaced axes for connecting said rollersjtogether for movement in opposite directions with respect to each other, and pivoted spring biased pawls engaging said gearing and operatively connected to said plunger bar.

3. A device for squeezing and storing collapsi ble tubes comprising a hollow casing, including a transverse partition subdividing said easing into spaced chambers, there being an opening provided in one end of said casing in communication with the adjacent one of said chambers for the insertion therethrough of a tube to be collapsed, a pair of rollers disposed in superimposed spaced relation with respect to each other and mounted within said one chamber for rotary movement about spaced transverse axes and adapted to receive said tube therebetween, an exteriorly actuable plunger bar positioned intermediate said chambers and mounted contiguous to one side of said casing for movement toward and away from the other side thereof, resilient means operatve 1y connected to said plunger bar for" normally biasing the latter away from said other side of said casing, and means positioned within said casing and operatively connected to said pair of rollers and said plunger bar for rotating the former in response to the movement of the latter toward said other side of said casing, said partition being provided with a passage having its ends in'communi'cation with said chambers for the extension therethrough of said tube into the other of said chambers for storage therein, said casing comprising a pair of hollow sections disposed in face to face relation with respect to each other and detachably secured together.

GEORGE H. SNYDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe filo of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Oliver Sept. 5, 1944 

